The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers after a hard fought battle, with the Pacers taking them all the way to a Game 7. The Pacers played phenomenal basketball up until the very end, but it just wasn’t enough to get them past the Thunder. Their Cinderella run in the NBA Finals was ultimately marred by an injury to Tyrese Haliburton which started all the way in Game 2. Despite the pain, Haliburton did not sit out any of the games, but in Game 5, he was limping on the floor at times which raised a lot of concerns for Indiana. When asked for his availability in Game 6, Haliburton told the reporters that he was not going to sit out the game which he dreamt of playing in. In Game 6, the Pacers dominated the Thunder, and Haliburton finished the game with 14 points while only playing for 23 minutes.<\/p>
Prior to Game 7, according to various reports, Tyrese Haliburton’s calf strain was an injury that was supposed to keep him out for at least a week or two. However, the stakes are the highest in Game 7s and there was no way Haliburton was going to sit out for the game. During Game 7, Haliburton got off to an incredible start, knocking down 3 out of 4 three point attempts. But, a non-contact injury occurred as he attempted to dribble past Shai, collapsing in pain and pounding on the floor. He was ruled out for the rest of the game in the second quarter, confirmed by his father to ESPN’s Lisa Salters, to have an Achilles injury, later reported as a torn Achilles tendon by Shams Charania on X. <\/p>